Dr. Martinez, an Experienced Corneal Surgeon
The cornea is the transparent portion of the eye which allows light to enter and performs two-thirds of the focusing tasks. The cornea also covers both the iris (the colored portion of the external eye) and the pupil (the reactive ‘light meter’ in front of the lens).
Normally the cornea is about the size and thickness of a dime and is curved in a dome like shape. It is critical for the Cornea to maintain its transparency and optical clarity as well as its regular curvature and thickness in order to function properly.
The cornea is often compared to the lens of a camera, but this can lead to a bit of confusion. The cornea does indeed allow light to enter the eyeball, and the cornea’s convex shape focuses that light towards the pupil and another structure called the lens. In essence, the cornea performs the broad brushstrokes of vision, while the shape-shifting lens performs the fine details before all of the light hits the retina. It is the shape of the cornea’s dome, which determines whether or not a person may be nearsighted, farsighted or astigmatic.
At Visionary Ophthalmology, Dr. Alberto Martinez is a Fellowship trained Corneal Specialist, which means that in addition to the extensive education and training completed to become a Board Certified Ophthalmologist he also completed additional training working with patients requiring more specialized care to treat their corneal problems.
